THE CRAFTS 
WOOD CARVING AND PYROGRAPHY. LEATHER AND METAL. BASKETRY, ETC. 
Under the manage Jiicnt of Miss Emily Peacock, Karol Shop. 22 East i6tli St., Nezv York. All inquiries in regard to the various 
Crafts are to be sent to the above address, bvt will be ansivered in the magazine under this head. 
All questions must be received before the 10th day of month preceding issue and will be answered under "Answers to Inquiries" only. Please do not send stamped 
envelope for reply. The editors will answer questions only in these columns. 
"c o". Make "c a o" equal to the latitude of the place and 
construct the angle "c o e" equal to the same. Make "e ni" 
equal to "o e" and with "m" as a centre, with the radius 
"e m", describe the quadrant "e s" and divide it into six 
equal parts. Draw "e y'' parallel to "6,6" and from "m" 
through the five points in the quadrant draw "m t" , "m i", 
etc. Then from "a" draw "a 5", "a 4", etc., passing through 
"t", "i", etc. The hour-lines for one half the dial are now 
complete and to draw the other half make "a d" and "b w" 
equal to the thickness of the stile and draw "d w" parallel to 
"a h" and repeat the process already described. It may be a 
trifle simpler, however, to draw a circle of any radius from any 
convenient centre, as "x". Space off on this the divisions 
"6 7", "7 8", etc., exactly equal to those on the opposite half. 
To divide the hours into quarters, subdivide each of the 
divisions on the arc "e s" into four equal parts and continue 
as in constructing the hour lines. 
All that now remains to be done is to lay out the gnomon, 
which is usually a piece of metal similar to figure 2, the angle 
"b a c" being equal to the latitude of the place. 
As accuracy is a necessity and paper shrinks and stretches 
according to the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, this 
drawing should be at once traced with India ink on a piece of 
cloth procured for the purpose. 
If the dial is to be of metal, as is usual, order a piece of 
half-hard brass of the size desired rather than try to have it 
cast. A casting may be a little cheaper but a good deal of 
trouble is sure to be found with cold-shuts and other flaws 
and it will not present so even a texture to engrave. 
A plain, old-fasliioned sun dial will always be good to 
look upon because of the regularity of its divisions and the 
contrast between the straight and curved lines, but it is 
nevertheless susceptible to decorations, which if not too elab- 
orate will. add considerably to its beauty. It is in itself so 
stiff" and formal that conventional designs are the most appro- 
priate to use, and many a plate graced only with the Tudor 
Rose, or a stiff' rosette, possesses far more charm than the over- 
ornate things that are frequently imported. But the mottoes 
and decorations on these curious time-pieces do, and should, 
proclaim their owner's tastes, so select ornamentation and a 
motto, each according to his own fancy. Only two points 
are essential: — do not allow anything to interfere with the 
The lines " ab " and " d w " on Mg. 1 must point nortli and south when the Dial is set, 
" d " and " w " being at the north and •' a " and " b " at the south of the gnomon or style. 
THE MAKING OF A SUN DIAL 
Joseph T. Higgins 
WITH the renewed interest in antique furniture and formal 
gardens has come, to many people, the desire to possess 
one of those strange time-pieces so mysterious to us as children 
— the quaint old sun dial. To a girl it was only a " funny old 
thing," but a boy's curiosity always got the better of him and 
required an answer to the question, "what makes it go?" 
Fortunate was he who learned, for it revealed new delights 
in the knowledge of astronomy, which presented so many 
questions to ask. But most fathers could do no more than 
explain that the moving shadow pointed out the passing time, 
with the result that nowadays there are few indeed who know 
where to buy an accurate dial, to say nothing about how to 
make one. Many that are sold are made for a given point, 
though used several degrees of latitude north or south of it, 
and this is the reason purchasers are surprised that their dials 
do not agree with the tables given in the almanac. 
To secure a useful instrument it is essential to know the 
latitude of the place where it is to set, and this found one may 
construct his own, an occupation interesting ahke to scientist 
or craftsman. To the latter in particular it affords a new waj^ 
to try his workmanship and his knowledge of applied design, 
for the decoration of a dial may be carried far and a well pro- 
portioned pedestal or other support adds much to its charm. 
By referring to the figure numbered I the method of 
laying out the hour-lines may be easily foUoAved. There are 
many varieties which may be fashioned, including the north-, 
south-, east- and west-vertical and those which recline, in- 
cline and decline, but the simplest and most used is the hori- 
zontal which is placed with its face parallel to the surface of 
the earth, and this the figure represents. 
Draw "a b", and at right angles to it "6,6". At any 
convenient point in "a h" , and at right angles to it draw 
Fig. 2 
The point ' 
" of Fig. 2 should coincide with the line " 
on the Unes " ab " and " dw 
" at " ad " its sides being 
